Traveling and camping are very popular activities. When camping, individuals usually need to pack a large number of items within a confined space such as a back pack or car trunk. With limited space for packing, the ability to reduce the size and number of things that need to be packed is highly desirable. When camping or taking long trips, individuals require a place to sleep or relax.
Hammocks are popular items for sleeping and relaxing in. A conventional hammock or sling typically includes a net or fabric-like material that may be suspended from two or more points and is configured for a person to lie or sit in. For example, a hammock may be suspended between two trees or a metal frame may be constructed to hang the hammock from. The hammock itself does not require a lot of space for storage or transport, making it an ideal item for traveling. Depending on the location, there may not be enough trees or the trees may be too far apart to hang a hammock. In this situation, a hammock with a frame is required, which may be large and bulky. When traveling in a personal vehicle, for example, a car, truck or recreational vehicle (R.V.), an individual may utilize a hammock or bed that may be attached to a vehicle. Examples of prior vehicular mounted hammock frames include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,179,759 B1 (hereinafter, “patent '759”), U.S. Publ. No. 2008/0006666 (hereinafter, “publication '666”) or U.S. Publ. No. 2016/0058197 (hereinafter, “publication '197”), all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. However, in prior vehicle mounted hammock frames, the hammock frame is either attached via the hitch or towing receiver. There are also examples of hammocks that may be attached to a vehicle via the support rails on the top of the vehicle or in/on top of a truck bed. These systems however are not modular and often utilize space that can be otherwise useful for storage or towing.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art for a portable hammock and/or hammock frame configured to be attached to a personal vehicle when the vehicle does not have a towing receiver or mounting rails.